Centrifugal driving mechanism



June9, 1936. A. F. HowE 2,043,661

CENTRFUGAL DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 1o, 1934 :s sheets-sheet 2 June9, 1936., A, F, HOW'E 2,043,661

CENTRIFUGAL DRIVING MECHANISM lPatented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATESPATENT CFFICE 14 Claims.

This invention relates to centrifugal driving mechanism, and has specialreference to a driving mechanism for use in centrifugal driers.

Objects of the invention are to provide mproved mechanism fordifferentially rotating the screen and the distributing cone of acentrifugal drier at selected speeds; to provide means for connectingthe differential driving mechanism with the screen and the distributingcone in such a way that the driving mechanism may be easily attached anddetached; to provide a driving shaft supporting the differential drivingmecha nism and a removable support for said shaft whereby said shaft andsaid differential driving mechanism may be supported in operativeconnection with the screen and the distributing cone and may be easilyremoved therefrom when desired; and to provide improved drivingmechanism attaining all of the benefits and advantages of the improveddriving mechanism herein disclosed, reference being made to the annexeddrawings, in Which- Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of the inventionassembled in operative connection with the screen and the distributingcone of a centrifugal drier.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the differential drivingmechanism.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the screen and the distributingcone.

40 a stationary support that may be removed as a unit simply by removingthe screws 3.

The shaft 1 is driven by the motor 5, the lower end of said shaft beingjournalled in a bearing 8 and the intermediate portion of said shaftbeing journalled in a bearing 9 in the bottom plate I. A tubularcoupling device IIJ is rigidly attached to the upper end of the shaft 1and is provided with internal ribs I I adapted to engage in grooves I2in the lower end of a vertical shaft I3 in axial alinement with theshaft 1. The shaft I3 is attached to the distributing cone I4 of thecentrifugal drier, so that said cone will be rotated at the same speedat which the shafts 1 and I3 rotate. The coupling I0 is easilywithdrawable from engagement with the lower end of the shaft I3 and mayalso easily be reengaged therewith. Accordingly, the coupling I0 doesnot interfere with the removal of the entire unit comprising the bottomplate I, the housing 4, theshaft 1 and all of the gearing supported byany of said 5 parts.

Differential gearing is mounted in connection with and is solelysupported and operated by the shaft 1 for rotating the conical screen I5of the centrifugal drier at a speed different from the l0 speed ofrotation of the distributing cone I4; and, in the present instance, thescreen I5 is driven at a slower rate of speed than the cone I4.

The shaft 1 extends through a pinion I6 in rigid connection with thebottom plate I, so 15 that said pinion cannot rotate. A planetary seriesof gears I1 mesh with the pinion I6. The gears I'I are rigidly attachedto trunnions I8 supported in bearings I9 mounted in a supporting member20 which is rigid with the shaft 'I and, 20 therefore, rotates at thesame rate of speed as said shaft 1. The gears I1 are supported below thesupporting member 20. Each trunnicn I8 has a pinion 2I rigidly attachedto its upper end above the support 23, and the series of 25 pinions 2Imesh with an internal gear 22 formed in connection with a multiple gear23. The gear 23 is coaxial with the shaft 1 and is supported thereby forfree and independent rotation with respect to said shaft 1. Thecombination gear 30 member 23 includes a pinion 24 as an integral partthereof, and said pinion 24 is coaxial with the combination gear 23 andthe shaft 1.

A planetary series of gears 25 mesh with the pinion 24 and are supportedby the lower` ends 35 of trunnions 26. The trunnions 26 are rotativelysupported by a supporting member 21 rigid on the shaft 1, and each ofsaid trunnions has attached to its upper end a pinion 28.

The pinions 28, which are rigid with the re- 40 spective trunnions 26,mesh with an internal gear 29 attached to a tubular shaft 3i). The upperend of the shaft 1 is journalled in a bearing 3l insertable in andwithdrawable fromthe lower end of the tubular shaft 30 and supported ona 45 sleeve 32 mounted on the shaft 1 above the support 21. When thescrews 3 are removed the shaft 1 and the differential gearing supportedthereby may be removed as a unit with the support comprising the parts Iand 4.

Accordingly, by using gearing of the desired ratio, the tubular shaft 3Bmay be driven at any desired speed relative to the speed of rotation ofthe shaft 1. By using gears of one ratio, the

Ltubular shaft 30 may be rotated at the same speed 55 as the shaft 1;and, by using gears of a different ratio, the tubular shaft 3U may berotated faster than the shaft 1; and, by using the gears of still adifferent ratio, the tubular shaft 39 may be rotated slower than theshaft 'I. My invention embodies this complete idea of means.

The tubular shaft 3B is supported by and rotative in a bearing 33supported by the stationary housing 2. The upper end of the tubularshaft 30 is attached to the lower end o-f a tubular shaft 34 to theupper end of which the annular wall 35 is attached for rotation thereby.The annular wall 35 is connected with the screen I5 by Webs 36 so. thatsaid screen i5 will be rotated thereby.

It is now clear that the motor 5 may be controlled to rotate the shaft 1at any desired speed 0f rotation and that, by using proper ratio ofgearing, the screen I5 may be rotated in the same direction as thedistributing cone I4 and at uniform or any selected differential speedof rotation. Merely by removing the screws 3, the er1- tire motorhousing including the bottom plate I of the stationary housing 2 may beremoved while the shaft 'I remains journalled in the bearings 8 and Sand carries with it the differential gearing excep-ting the internalgear 29 which is supported by the tubular shaft 30. The gearing will beautomatically and continuously lubri* cated when in operation by oilflowing through the tubes 3'! supported vertically by the supports 2Gand 21 between the gears I'I and having forwardly extended open portions38 on their lower ends which operate in oil contained in the housing 2.The planetary rotation of the tubes 37 about the axis of the shaft 1with the open end portions 38 of said tubes operating in the oil willcause continuous flow of oil through the respective tubes above thesupport 21. Discharge of the oil from the open upper ends of the tubes37 will permit the oil to flow onto and lubricate all of the gearing andthe bearings therefor.

' As clearly shown the upper end of the shaft I3 is journalled in abearing I3 mounted in and supported by the upper end of the tubularshaft 34. The hub I4 of the distributing cone I4 bears against and issupported by a flange or collar 39 and such ange or collar is supportedby the bearing I3 and by the upper end of the tubular shaft 34. Theseelements constitute an embodiment of means for supporting the shaft I3and thereby the distributing cone I4 by the shaft 34 and the bearingI3', even when the drive shaft 'I and the differential gearing mountedthereon are removed.

It should now be apparent that this invention attains all of itsintended objects and purposes efficiently and satisfactorily andconstitutes a highly convenient mechanism for its intended uses. Thedistributing cone I4 and screen I5 may be of any appropriate form orconstruction, and the present invention is capable of a wide variety ofuses irrespective of the mechanisms or parts to be driven thereby.

I claim:

1. Mechanism of the character described comprising spaced bearings, ashaft journalled in said bearings, an additional shaft in axialalinement with said first shaft, a coupling rigid with one of saidshafts and having detachable engagement with the other shaft, a memberrotative by said second shaft, an additional rotary member supportingsaid first rotary member, gearing supported by said rst shaft forrotating said additional rotary member differentially with respect tosaid first member as desired, and a detachable support for said bearingswhereby said first shaft and said gearing may be removed as a unit.

2.*Mechanism of the character described comprising two members to berelatively rotated one about the other, a bearing supporting one of saidmembers by the other, a shaft supporting one of said members, a driveshaft, means for rotating said first shaft by said drive shaft,differential gearing supported wholly by said drive shaft, connectionsoperated by said differential gearing for rotating said other memberdifferentially with respect to that member which is supported by saidfirst shaft, and a detachable support for said drive shaft whereby saidshaft and said gearing may be removed as a unit.

3. Mechanism of the character described comprising two members to berelatively rotated one about the other, a bearing supporting one of saidmembers by the other, a shaft supporting one of said members, a driveshaft, means for rotating said first shaft by said drive shaft,differential gearing supported wholly by said drive shaft, connectionsoperated by said differential gearing for rotating said other memberdifferentially with respect to that member which is supported by saidfirst shaft, and a detachable support for said drive shaft whereby saiddrive shaft and said differential gearing may be removed as a unit.

4. Mechanism of the character described comprising two members to bedifferentially rotated, a tubular shaft supporting one of said members,a shaft supporting the other one of said members and extending axiallyinto said tubular shaft, a bearing in said tubular shaft supporting saidsecond shaft, a drive shaft, means detachably connecting said driveshaft with said second shaft, differential gearing supported by saiddrive shaft, means for rotating said tubular shaft by said differentialgearing, and means for supporting said drive shaft and thereby saidgearing for removal orV replacement as a unit.

5. Mechanism of the character described comprising two members to bedifferentially rotated, a tubular shaft supporting one of said members,a shaft supporting the other one of said members and extending axiallyinto said tubular shaft, a bearing in said tubular shaft supporting saidsecond shaft, a drive shaft, means detachably connecting said driveshaft with said second shaft, differential gearing supported by saiddrive shaft, means for rotating said tubular shaft by said differentialgearing, and a removable support for said drive shaft whereby said driveshaft and said differential gearing may be removed and reassembled incooperative relation with said tubular shaft and said first shaft as aunit.

6. Mechanism of the character described comprising a rigid housing, twomembers to be relatively rotated, a tubular shaft supporting one of saidmembers, a shaft supporting the other member and extending into saidtubular shaft, a bearing in said tubular shaft supporting said secondshaft, a drive shaft, means for rotating said second shaft by said driveshaft, differential gearing said second shaft, a drive shaft in axialalinement with said second shaft, a detachable connection for rotatingsaid second shaft by said drive shaft, differential gearing supported bysaid drive shaft in said housing and operatively connected with saidtubular shaft for rotating said tubular shaft differentially withrespect to said second shaft, and a detachable support for said driveshaft whereby said drive shaft and said gearing may be removed as aunit.

8. Mechanism of the character described comprising two coaxial shaftssupported for relative rotation, a bearing in one of said shaftssupporting the other shaft, a drive shaft supported in axial alinementwith one of said two coaxial shafts and detachably connected therewith,a detachable support for supporting said drive shaft, and differentialgearing wholly supported by said detachable support and said drive shaftand operatively connected with the other of said two coaxial shafts.

9. Mechanism of the character described comprising two coaxial shaftssupported for relative rotation, a bearing in one of said shaftssupporting the other shaft, a rigid housing supporting said shafts, adrive shaft in axial alinement with one of said two coaxial shafts andoperatively connected therewith, differential gearing supported by saiddrive shaft and said housing for rotating the other one of said twocoaxial shafts differentially with respect to said drive shaft, and adetachable support for said drive shaft whereby said drive shaft andsaid gearing may be removed as a unit.

10. Mechanism of the character described comprising a rigid supportinghousing, a tubular shaft rotatively supported by said housing, a shaftextending into said tubular shaft and supported thereby for relativerotation, spaced bearings in said housing, a drive shaftrotativelyjournalled in said bearings in axial alinement with saidsecond shaft and operatively connected therewith, differential gearingwholly supported by said drive shaft and operatively connected with saidtubular shaft for rotating said tubular shaft differentially withrespect to said drive shaft and said second shaft, a motor between saidbearings for rotating said drive shaft, and a detachable support forsaid drive shaft and said motor whereby said shaft and said motor andsaid gearing may be removed as a unit.

11. Mechanism of the character described comprising a rigid housing,spaced bearings supported by said housing, a tubular shaft rotativelysupported by said bearings, a shaft extending into said tubular shaftfor relative rotation, a bearing in said tubular shaft supporting saidsecond shaft, a detachable support attached to said housing, a driveshaft rotatively journalled in said detachable support and supportedthereby in axial alinement with said second shaft, a detachable couplingfor rotating said second shaft by said drive shaft and at the same rateof speed, and differential gearing wholly supported by said detachablesupport and said drive shaft in said housing and operatively connectedwith said tubular shaft for rotating said tubular shaft differentiallywith respect to said drive shaft and said second shaft.

12. Mechanism of the character described comprising a tubular shaft, ashaft extending into said tubular shaft for relative rotation, a bearingin said tubular shaft supporting said second shaft, a drive shaftcoaxial with said tubular shaft and in axial alinement with said secondshaft, a coupling having detachable connection with one of said two lastnamed shafts for rotating said second shaft by said drive shaft and atthe same rate of speed, a bearing in said tubular shaft for one end ofsaid drive shaft, means on said drive shaft for supporting said bearing,differential gearing supported by said drive shaft for rotating saidtubular shaft differentially with respect to said drive shaft and saidsecond shaft, a support for supporting said drive shaft and saiddifferential gearing in cooperative relation with respect to said secondshaft and said tubular shaft, and detachable means holding said supportwhereby said support and said drive shaft and said gearing may beremoved as a unit.

13. Mechanism of the character described comprising a tubular shaft, ashaft extending into said tubular shaft for relative rotation, a bearingin said tubular shaft supporting said second shaft, a drive shaftcoaxial with said tubular shaft and in axial alinement with said secondshaft, a coupling having detachable connection with one of said two lastnamed shafts for rotating said second shaft by said drive shaft and atthe same rate of speed, a bearing in said tubular shaft for one end ofsaid drive shaft, means on said drive shaft for supporting said bearing,differential gearing supported by said drive shaft for rotating saidtubular shaft differentially with respect to said drive shaft and saidsecond shaft, a support for supporting said drive shaft and saiddifferential gearing in cooperative relation with respect to said secondshaft and said tubular shaft whereby said drive shaft and said gearingmay be removed as a unit, and means supported and operated by saidgearing for applying lubricant to said gearing as an incident to theoperation thereof.

14. Mechanism of the character described comprising a tubular shaft,spaced bearings in said tubular shaft, a shaft journalled in one of saidbearings and extending into said tubular shaft for relative rotation, aremovable support, a drive shaft supported by said removable supportand. by one of said bearings coaxially with respect to said tubularshaft and in axial alinement with said second shaft, a coupling rigidwith said tubular shaft and having detachable engagement with saidsecond shaft for rotating said second shaft by said drive shaft, a gearmember attached to said tubular shaft and operatively connected withsaid gearing for rotating said tubular shaft, and means for supportingsaid drive shaft and said differential gearing for removal andreplacement as a unit.

ANDREW F. HOWE.

